Life in London- By Maya Shallita

Cold and rainy. Two words which are often used to describe London. While this description is accurate, I have nonetheless fallen in love with this city. The shopping, excellent cafes, beautiful architecture and buzzing nightlife, all make up for the dreadful weather. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.

I have made some wonderful friends located all across the world and as cheesy as it sounds, had some very memorable experiences. Natasha, Alice and I (All UTS students) have had the pleasure of making friends with a lovely group of European students. Throughout many nights of drinking, drinking and eating- I have learnt SO many new things about travelling, university life and culture- from these new friends. When we take photos, it’s refreshing, as SO many countries are represented/brought together. It sounds so sentimental, but it truly is nice. When we get together, there are variety of accents, many different levels of English and different senses of humour. Thus communicating is always interesting and hilarious.

I feel as though I have been living a life of luxury, or as some may say being a ‘lady who lunches’. I am used to juggling a social life, three jobs back home and a BA Laws and Communications, therefore this “relaxing’ experience is both foreign and incredibly pleasant. I have visited countless parks, museums, galleries and MOST IMPORTANTLY RESTAURANTS and CAFES. I HAVE truly eaten my way through London.

I am slowly making my way throughout the UK and I travelled last weekend to Dublin for Saint Patricks Day, which was VERY fun. I have ticked MOST of the tourist boxes in both Ireland and London. This weekend I am travelling to the Cliffs of Dover and Birmingham, where I will indulge is LOTS OF CHOCOLATE at the Cadbury factory. While I intend to definitely completing the tourist activities when I travel around Europe- If there is anything I have learnt- it’s that I much prefer to sit in cafes, go to bars and walk around. Sometimes spontaneity is the best approach- because you really do experience the culture in this way.

I am so glad that I took the opportunity to go on exchange, as so far, it has been an amazing experience. Surprisingly, my classes are all nearly over and I am about to start my HUGE assessment block (however this is nowhere near as stressful as back home). Once my university commitments are complete in May, I am traveling to as many countries as I can fit in- Portugal, Morrocco, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Berlin, Italy, France and Amsterdam (that’s all i have planned so far ;))

I can’t wait for my adventures ahead and I never want to leave! 🙂